After my failed mission to the Ben with Honza I spent a couple of day's in bed, re-couping and geting rid of my horrible cough I developed. Where do these hardcore viruses come from.... This allowed me enough rest to get out with Nic on Saturday night for a bit of van camping in Wrynose Bottom, next to the Duddon near its source. With the burner going in the van we were toasty warm & got some good sleep ready for our next days mission on Sunday. We were s'posed to get an early start, but I made the classic error of re-lighting the wood burner before we got out of bed & we promptly fell back asleep in the warmth of the van. So, a late start, but no matter, head torches in packs & off we set around 12pm.

We skirted around the side of Little Stand, and headed up Mosedale. Nic was practising a bit of Nav for the on coming Highlander MM we are doing together, so she showed us the way & pointed out the mountains as we saw them or they came into view.

We headed across west under Scar Lathing and up onto Slight Side via a gully just slightly North of Horn Crag, from here we skirted the back of the next knoll and onto the summit of Scafell. Then down via Foxes Tarn, and under East Butteress by the fell runners tracks from the Bob Graham Round, upto Mickledore and then the summit of Scafell Pike. Nic was feeling the height gain in her legs after been out of action for a few months (she fell x-country skiing coming down off School Knott in Windermere when we had a excellent low level snow before Christmas and badly twisted her elbow & shoulder and then has been flat out sorting our accounts out for the last few months), but recovered well by the time we got to Broad Crag. From her we took the easy ground to get to Esk Pike & then with on coming dusk, we headed down the ridge from Esk to drop back into Mosedale via Yeastyrigg Gill and back into Mosedale. We got back to the van at about 7:45pm, using the light from my Petzl Ultra, which is like having a car headlight on your head!!

Back at the van, tired and a bit cold after walking all day with wet feet ( I was wearing my Inov-8 X-Talon 240's, ultra light weight boots that are discontinued now, but are very similar to the new Roclite 288 Gtx, but not waterproof), but Nic was fine with her Inov-8 Roclite 400's, although still pretty tired from a long day, we got the wood burner going again & sat in bliss from the heat of it, plus a great day, with beautiful weather out in the Lakeland Fells. A good recovery from a few ill day's and a failed mission to Scotland....

The weather has been excellent running up to Christmas & it looks set to stay good into next year. The forecast shows  thaw for the next 3 to 4 day's & then on by the weekend it is set to start freezing again. Today's snow will have brought harder mixed climbing into condition, and another dump of snow is forecast for tomorrow morning, which will make it hard to travel anywhere off the main roads in the Lakes. It is due to warm up tomorrow afternoon and it will strip the crags & fells of alot of the snow cover (hopefully not all), but hopefully the ice should all stay in place & get harder, better & more tempered as it freezes again. The night before Christmas Eve, Mike Elliot & myself went to have a look at Honister Icefalls on Gantry Crag. They were forming, but needed more time as water was running down the back & pouring over the front, so we soloed a little beck that runs under the mining tracks & the headed for a solo ascent of Sour Milk Gill. This was in general 1 foot thick all the way & gave excellent low grade climbing all the way to the top. Christmas day; Nicola & I headed to Ratherheath Tarn just outside Kendal for an hour of ice skating. Great fun & I was pleased I could still do it, after not being on skates since I was 13, thats 24 years ago... amazing what the muscles & cells remember. Boxing Day; Nicola & I headed over to Hartsop. As we came over Kirkstone, ice was abundant. In the quarry a good section of columns & curtains was formed, Raven Crag was plastered in ice, Kilnshaw Chimney will have a good ice step now formed, the corners above the Kirkstone as you drive over into Patterdale were in excellent condition with fangs/daggers of ice hanging from many rocks & boulders across the fell side. The crag up in the east corrie of Red Screes will be holding good ice as well. We arrived in Hartsop, got geared up, light style with OMM Packs, a 30m Tendon Scrambling rope, a couple of warthogs & pegs, Kahtoola KTS Steels & Microspikes & a Trad Axe for Nic, I used my ultra-light Camp Corsa Axe (not rated for climbing, but surely ok for ascending grade 1 snow slopes).

We walked up to Hayes Water, over the side of the Knott & down into Martindale underneath Rampsgill Head. As we descended the gully into the valley I was watching to see what windslab had formed.As we came further down, I stepped in softer snow, which happened to be windslab & a big plate broke away, fracturing above and around where I was standing. A sign that we all need to be conscious of avalanche conditions which wil form in the Lakes again this winter season.

We then took off our Microspikes & put KTS Steels onto our Inov-8 Roclite 400's, scooted across to the base of the crag & climbed a snow gully weaving up the crag, no particular route, just an introduction to winter climbing for Nicola. We moved together for part of the ascent & I belayed Nicola for confidence on the more exposed parts, using traditional methods of standing on frozen tufts and body belaying. Looking at the fells around, it looks to get better & better for winter ice, as the build-up is happening either lower down, or on natural water course lines. Lets see what the next few days bring, but things look like they will continue with a possible hard base down for skiing next time the snow comes.

Sad News: A man has died at Cautley Spout, Eastern Howgills whilst ice climbing, the report I have read doesn't say much, but it is a stark reminder for us all to excersize great care when climbing ice, although it can feel safe, things can go wrong. Special care should be taken whilst climbing waterfalls, they can fracture, you can fall through. Our sincere condolances go out to the family & friend of this tradgic accident. MWIS Planning Outlook: Planning Outlook: All mountain areas of Britain from Wednesday, 29th December, 2010 Persistent thaw with extensive low cloud and patchy rain until Thursday. Winds will fall light. An area of high pressure will move southwards across Britain over the New Year Weekend, bringing a slight drop in temperature level, but most slopes will remain above freezing point. Most areas dry, but later in the weekend, patchy showery rain may spread into northern Scotland.

Honza and I made the long walk into Pillar, a little further than it had to be!! But its all training. After working far too many days in a row we headed out to Ennerdale Water, parked in the wrong car park, bedded down in the van, had a few ciders with burner going & got some shut eye for the following day. I woke early for morning needs & headed outside, to catch a glimpse of the Lunar Eclipse, then back to bed for more sleep for the on coming day. We woke around 9am, got the burner going, had coffee & breakfast, got the dogs sorted for a cold day in the van & then headed up the east side of Ennerdale water for our long walk in. The day was amazing, beautiful light & sky all the way. We cursed ourselves for parking in the wrong carpark, but you can't get everything right. I guess we got to Pillar around lunchtime, neither of us having a watch meant we were just there, no pressure, no problems. We had hoped to see the crag holding snow, but it was a bit hopefull & when we saw Pillar Rock in all her glory, we were slightly repelled by the dry rock we saw. Thankfully our back-up plan for climbing Waterfall Gully was a good option.

We geared up at the bottom and soloed up to the main icefall pitch. It looked in good conditions, but a little thin, so Honza tied on the sharp end & set off up the ice column of ice on the left of the gully. A few hollow sounding placements brought moans from Honza, but he sailed up it like all was ok.... I should learn.

As Honza made a belay at the top, I put my pack on containing a rope, all our rock gear (which had been brought in hope of a harder line on Pillar itself) & other stuff, weighing in at above 10kg. Of course I didn't think what effect this would have on my forearms as I started climbing, but with-in taking out the first 2 bits of gear, I was majorly pumped & srcabbling aorund too far left in the corner, back footing, not properly on the column itself. Now I understood the groans from Honza before. As I buried my right axe in the hollowest section & my left close by, I cut looose slightly to swing across. Of course the ice gave way & sheared into the waterfall behind, spitting me off & testing out honza's belay above. All was well, bar my over pumped hands from gripping my axes too hard. I pulled back on & shakely climbed the now thinner, hollow ice above, pulling out into the scoop at the top, breathing hard. The rest was following neve above in strips to the top out to an amzing backdrop over Fleetwith Pike, Dalehead & in the background was Blencathra with the moon rising to the right.

All in all a pretty good way to spend the winter solstice, with a Lunar Eclipse in the morning, a battle of a walk in with winter boots on, beautiful ice to climb to the top of Pillar & then walk back out by the light of the Full Moon. You can't really ask for more. Conditions on the fells right now are great for water ice climbing. Where-ever a water course runs down the fell, over rock,  or down a gully, then its a pretty certain bet that it is frozen & ready to climb. Reports of all ice in condition around Thirlmere, Blea Tarn is in excellent condition, Grasmoor & surrounding area's must have good condition & I have friends heading out to Cautley Spout tonight. Myself & Mike Elliot are heading to somewhere tonight, maybe Lower Gantry as we had a brief look when we drove over Honister on Monday night showing the ice there was also in great conditions & the drive down into Buttermere was interesting, snow tires were certainly a help, a little ice on the road adds to the adrenaline. If your into Ice Skating, then pretty much any small tarn you can think of will be good for skating. Ratherheath is always a certain, but I think it is take your pick until after boxing day.  For skiing there maybe area's which are holding old snow from a few weeks ago, but it will be a walk. The Helvellyn Ridge is maybe ski-able with care, but I haven't had reports back as of yet. Really, more snow is needed for good skiing conditions, but if you head east towards Cross Fell, then I am sure you will find something to mess around on. For runners, well the conditions are great, especially if you own a pair of Kahtoola Microspikes, which give great traction on icey/hardpack snowy conditions. I have heard of 2 attempts a a winter Bob Graham, but unfortunately both were unsucsessful. Steve Ashworth set of with a friend, un-supported, on Monday night, to get to the Dunmail Road cross & call it a day due to being behind schedule, his mate carried on, calling for a pickup in Langdale. The other I heard about was Jim Evans (?),  being supported by Ambleside AC, but this was cancelled before the set off. Hopefully someone out there managed it in the excellent weather condtions we have been blessed with. If your out winter walking then enjoy safely. Make sure you have full winter equipment, including axe & crampons (Kahtoola KTS Steels are a great option), capabilty to make hot food, have shelter, a sleeping bag & of course a map & compass. better safe than sorry!! ;-)

Have a Happy Snow Christmas,

The Outdoor Warehouse Team

So, I have managed to get out 3 times in 2 day's. Not bad when your working hard.

Round One: I have been lucky enough to ski to work from my girlfriend's house in Windermere. My house is having central heating put in, so I am staying at Nicola's for a week or 2 until my house is habitable again. This has fallen very nicely with the snow, as it means I am closer to it for a week or so. The snow fall in the Lakes on Sunday night put down 3 inches, just enough with frozen ground, for my skinny Fisher Touring skis. I find these the best for Lakes conditions, as it means I can get out on limited snow cover & after doing it like this for 20 years + I think it is a good way to go. On Monday I skied from Nicola's on Park Rd, Windermere, up to Lickbarrow Road, left to rise up onto School Knott round the back, past the Tarn & onto the summit. There is a good covering all the way, only a few rocks showing & enough cover to smooth over the ones you can't see. From the Tarn I skied up on to the summit of School Knott to look out over Windermere blanketed in snow & the Lakes vista spread out beyond. From the Coniston Fells all the way round to Troutbeck was white & looking further East, the Howgills looked the same. I then skied N/E down to behind the housing estate at the bottom & across the Windermere - Oxenholme train line skiing upto the A591. Here I crossed, having to take my skis off, for fear of being run over by a speeding car. Skis back on over the other side & I moved up onto Orrest Head. I should have turned left at the summit & gone to work, but I couldn't help myself & skied down the back & then round the side. Beautiful light powdery snow on top of frozen ground. Then through the wood, down the road finishing at the entrance to Orrest, just opposite our shop.

Round 2: Honza & I set off from the shop at around 19:15 for Kirkstone Pass. We were told of oncoming snow fall as we filled up fuel at Troutbeck Bridge garage, but ignored it in favour of climbing, the sky was clear, what did we want with heresay & rumours!! As we hit the top of the pass, we were greated with the first flakes of what had been predicted. Brushing this aside & our fears of not getting down again (no snow chains), we headed off up Red Screes for a chimney line I had seen when running earlier last year (I soloed it in the wet with my 2 dogs, to their dismay!! still, they topped out unscathed). As we walked across the front of Red Screes on icy rock, lightly covered with snow, we both realised, quietly, it was a long way down if we slipped. Kahtoola Microspikes would have been a comfort. Coming out towards the top we entered a blizzard, snow whipping round in all directions. Of course, no goggles meant limited vision, but we found our objective & descended the open gully next to the crag we were heading for. Lots of hard packed snow & plenty falling, this gully, if your careful, if ready for skiing. I have it tagged down as my next daylight mission. The chimney was full of ice, pretty thick in places. We had a beer, got ourselves together & soloed up carefully, enjoying the blizzard around & the thrill of no ropes. With calves burning, breath heavy, we pulled out of the top & back into our full-on conditions. Our tracks had disapeared, showing alot of snow fall. We crossed the shoulder & found Red Screes gully quite easily & descended this way as a safer option, both worrying about the snow cover on the road. Suffice to say, we made it down the road & 2 inches of snow cover, very slowly, but safely. Back at the shop for 23:00

Round 3: Up, not as early as planned, breakfast with Nicola & kids. Get dressed, I feel like I am at a ski resort, although not, but you know the feeling when you getting ready for skiing. Marmot DriClime pants on (the old style with full side zips, their the best for venting), Montane windshirt over base layer & then Rab Vapour-rise Stretch top on top (it stops the binding you find between 2 'grabbie' layers, i.e: fleece against base layer. Coffee & ready to go. Skis on again, on Park Road, same way up onto School Knott, the mornings light was fantastic, plus the extra snow from the night before made for better skiing again, although not so for coming down the toher side & a quick shoulder planted reminded my of our lovely windslab & breakable crust. Never a problem on normal skis, but skinny tourers & its harder, but still fun. Harold Lloyd type movements spring to mind!!I didn't make Orrest this morning, as work was beconing, but I'll be out again tomorrow, I think the saying is "Seize the Day".

Conditions: Low down: snow is good, no base, but frozen ground. The tarns are freezing over & snow is still lying on leaves on the tree's when the wind isn't stripping it off. Snow is collecting in windslab drifts. High up:  Ice is formed on all ground where water is running, paths are very slippy, deffinate MicroSpikes territory. The turf is well frozen where exposed to the wind, but in the lee of the wind some ground is still soft. If climbing, choose wind facing aspects. Snow is covering the ground & drifting, forming windslab over compacted snow & neve. Both windward & sheltered aspects building drifts, with cornices forming readily in all areas. Ice is abundant on N/E aspects & forming well. Turf is well frozen. Crampons & Axes are necassary if venturing above 600m, plus full winter clothing & safety gear should be carried. Wind chill is extreme. MWIS Planning Outlook: Planning Outlook: All mountain areas of Britain from Thursday, 2nd December, 2010 Cold conditions will persist for the next week to a fortnight. The lowest temperatures will be in glens in Scotland over the next few days where in places the mean daily temperatures will be below -15 Celsius - albeit over the weekend, there will be a slight lifting of temperatures on the hills. Clusters of snow showers will at times come in, affecting particularly coastal mountains, but toward and over the coming weekend, most mountain areas fine with light winds. Threat of upland gales and snow spreading north next week. Stay warm, stay safe, stay happy!!

So what is Winter Mountaineering? This can range from a winter walk in the English Lake District to a high level mountain route such as the Cullin Ridge on the Isle of Skye, the important bit being that the ground you walk/mountaineer across is covered in snow and/or ice.

When you decide to start winter mountaineering, you will understand that the kit you have been using for ordinary walking may need to be added to or updated some-what. Crampons will be needed, as will an ice axe or a pair, plus extra warm clothing, safety equipment, ropes and more. The boots you have used over the summer months may not be upto what you have in mind, so it is the intention of this  run of articles to show you what products we have on offer for the aspirational mountaineer to the fully fledged mountaineer who is looking for the next new thing to add to his/her plethera of clothing and equipment.

Lets start with clothing:

Base Layers:

These are the layers next to your skin. It is very important in winter conditions to stay dry next to your skin, damp =cold, cold = hypothermia. Hypothermia can set in after a very short time.

See the deffinition of HYPOTHERMIA here, read what the Scottish Mountain Climbing Archive have to say about understanding & avoiding mountain hypothermia here.

We think the best base layers for winter are produced with manmade fibers, these allow rapid movement of moisture across the surface of the garment, allowing super quick drying, this can cause a phenominam called the 'super fast cooling effect', as descibed by Mark Twight in his excellent book, Traveling fast, light & high, but this is really not too much of a consideration for the UK based mountaineer, but do take it into account. A good way to avoid this effect is to add a layer of pertex, like a wind shell or a Marmot DriClime, into your layering system, slowing the moisture transfer from layer to layer.

The base layers we are confident to offer in our online store are Marmot's Midweight Base Layers made using the Coconna Technology & Montane's Bionic Range, using Sportswool. Both are smell resistant & dry exceedingly fast.

Next come Mid Layers:

These can be a magnitude of fabrics & idea's, so its best to get a feel for this type of clothing, understand your own heating system in your body, meaning are you a cold or a warm person & then understand what the fabric/garments do & how these can work best for you. The original mid-layer is a fleece, but fabrics have moved on so much in the last 10/15 years that fleece as a good mid-layer is almost obsolete, bar using as a good pub top. What we now prefer to offer are garments that use a multitude of fabrics & ideas. I will offer a few here, but the list could be exhaustive under close scrutinisation of the outdoor market.

Marmot DriClime: DriClime is a light brushed fleece type fabric which is shelled by a microfibre windproof fabric, this gives you a moderately warm, windproof mid-layer. These tops can be used as a base, mid or outer layer depending on what the weather is & what you are trying to achieve. Driclime's will also help to slow down rapid moisture transfer, which in turn reduces the effects of rapid cooling by moisture being wicked from your skin too efficiently by the baselayer you are wearing. They do this by trapping moisture produced by sweating, in the microfabric windproof outer, this in turn will help the outer garment you choose in dealing with transporting the moisture from inside to out, by holding some of the persperation as descibed above, so it has a dual purpose.

Montane Krypton Jacket: The Montane Kryton is a similar idea to the Marmot DriClime, so to understand its benifits, just read the section above. What this does offer, which the Marmot doesn't, is a more specified product specification. The Marmot DriClime is a very simple style, which is in its defence, makes it a very versatile piece. What Montane have come up with, offers more features. It has adjustable cuffs, more pocket configurations, the Dri Active Suede (this is the fabric, very similar to Marmots DriClime, that makes up the lining) is reversed in the sleeve's, so it does not drag so much on the inners layers, which are your base layers. There is a hood with a wired peak, that is also helmet compatible and single-handed drawcords for adjustment of the face aperture and at the hem.

Next we have Rab's Vapourise, these come in a multitude of styles, but the best for the job, in my humble opinion, is the Vapourise Stretch top. This is the most versatile, best fit piece out of the whole range. Vapourise works on the same concept as the DriClime from Marmot, but it has differences. Notibly, it is not windproof, but is highly wind resistant using Pertex Equilibrium as the outer fabric, slightly heavier that its Marmot cousin, but very effective in moisture movement & management. It has stretch panels, made from Power Stretch inserts, that allow greater freedom of movement and is a close fit. There is a long zip at the front, which offers venting in 2 ways, 1: just unzip as you normally would, which give ventilation down to your solar-plexus or zip upto the neck & then take the second zip up as well, this allows venting of the core, giving great cooling, but keeps the neck warm at the same time. There is also a huge chest pocket, that will take a OS map and anything else you may want to chuck in there. Next come the shell garments, these consist of Jackets & Pants. The basics of what you are looking for here can again vary quite widely, from tough fabrics for the UK to lighter fabrics for Alpine. When looking for kitting yourself out for the UK, ask yourself where your main area's are where you will be going & what you are doing?

If your main activity is general mountaineering in the Lakes/Scotland/Wales, consiting of ridgelines, snow gullys & maybe the odd easier graded winter/ice climb then lighter fabrics will suffice, but remember there is a slight problem in serious weather with fabric compression. This is notably that the fabrics are thinner and therefore in high winds compress against the layers underneath more, allowing greater heat loss. This is a minor issue, but it is still a consideration when out in Winter, as weather can change quickly & the cold can come in very fast. Sunny alpine day, to hardcore snow storm is a very big differnce in perceived temperature. If your main application will be Scottish/Lakes/Welsh Winter/Ice Climbing then you need to be looking for a lot tougher garments, that will take the punishment of being abraided heavily against snow, turf, ice & rock and if your in the Cairngorms frequently you will understand. This type of activity can chew up clothing very quickly.

Jackets: The best jacket we supply & the one we think at present is the best winter climbing jacket on the market, soon to disapear for a season or so due to Lowe Alpines difficulties out in Italy, is the Aiguille Jacket. This is a bomb-proof storm shell, designed completely for winter climbing, driven by the top boy's at Lowe Alpine UK, so this is not italian design, it is designed by people in the UK, who understand UK weather patterns & what the UK mountaineer/climber needs. The hood is fantastic, closure is excellent & the cut is perfect for me (I am biases, I do have one!!). There is a double storm flap, stromflapped zipped ventilation on the back of the arms, as underarm pitzips are not the best due to your arms hanging down when you need the ventilation,  alpine chest/napolean pockets, good closure around the wrists... there's not much more I can say... check it out, desire one, own one...!

From Marmot we have the Spire Jacket. Marmot became well known thoughout the UK guide scene for producing the excellent Glemore Jacket, designed in conjuction with Glemore Lodge Mountain Guides, this was a super tough mountain shell. The Spire has taken its inspiration from this jacket to produce a slightly lighter, but very similar Gore-Tex shell garment, perfect for all types of winter mountaineering. Marmot understand the need for storm flaps, heavier grade fabrics & all the right feature, but not too many. This jacket also has a removeable snow skirt, so can double up as your ski jacket, if you so desire.

Next we have a slight difference to the last 2 items, as they are both 100% waterproof and are just shell garments, something that is very much desired by the UK market, maybe justified or more likely led by the marketing of Gore-tex. Now, don't get me wrong, waterproof garments have their place in our changable climate, but they are not necessary all the time and can cause bad moisture management, leaving your other layers working harder to keep you dry, which inevitabley can leave you feeling cold & damp. Not what you want when walking/climbing & stopping. The Montane Resolute Smock is a long awaited winter mountaineers dream. Made from Epic Alcatraz fabric, which is basically silicon encapsulated nylon woven into a tight, tough fabric. This is the definative single layer garment for winter mountaineering and cold climate exploration. The idea behind it is slightly different from the full layering system, but you still require the base layer, and depending on how you size the garment for yourself and what you are doing you may have room for a mid-layer or you may still use a belay jacket (we will come to these).

For those looking for something lighter weight, we have the Montane Meteor Jacket, this is a full mountain shell, but made using very light fabrics for the fast movers out there, or people wanting to shed weight out of their packs & lighten the load. This concludes the some of the jackets that we have on offer & are applicable for winter mountaineering, now we need to look at pants. These are the one item that gets trashed the most, but if you take care, you can make them last quite well. If you opt for waterproof, then the main area to watch out for is the knees, if you go for something that is highly water resistant, but has no membrane, you can expect a bit more perceived life, as there is no membrane to break/fracture so you won't be so concerned with wet knee's.

Pants for Mountaineering:

Lowe Alpine Flash Pants. These are Lowe Apines classic winter shell pant, great for skiing, touring, mountaineering and hardcore UK weather. They are proofed with Lowe's Triple Point Dynamic mebrane, and for those of you who remember Triple Point Ceramic (this was Lowe's own proofing, that was reputed to be far better then the Gore-tex offering at the time) then this is virtually the same thing. If your looking for a versatile pant for all-round winter activities, then you can't get much better that these.

The other offering we have at present is Montane's Terra XT Salopette's, these are none waterproof, but highly water resistant due to the use of the Epic Alcatraz fabric the same as used in the Resolute Smock. There are vented zips down either leg for moisture/heat management & have well re-inforced knees, seat and akles. Reflectively flashed, you can be seen by your partner or the MTR (hopefully this will never be nessacary) & have a high-waist & are bibbed at the front giving more pocket options.

Next we have  a must pant if you want to stay warm in the mountains. They are the Lowe Alpine Expert Jumpsuit, these are invaluble for winter mountaineering & climbing, they are made 100% from Stretch Aluetian Fabric (exclusive to LA), an excellently warm, stretchy & wickable fabric that moves moisture very efficiently. There is a deep chest zip, with 2 stretch chest pockets for energy gels, or heat pads if you think you need them. The best feature, is they have a drop-seat pant, meaning the call of nature (#2's)  doesn't involve getting fully undressed. They are designed to be worn under what ever shell outer you so desire, but will work wonders coupled with the Lowe Flash Pants.

Finally belay jackets, these are jackets/smocks that are designed to be pulled over your mid-layer, if conditions dictate the lack of a shell, or your shell garment if wearing one. The idea behind it is that you climb/mountaineer/walk in your base, mid & shell garment (if so required) and then when you stop or belay (waiting & bring your partner to where you have fixed[or maybe have not as the case maybe] to the snow/ice/rock) you put your Belay Jacket over the rest of your clothing to stop heat loss or keep it to the minimum as much as possible. There are many differnent grades of belay thickness & there are several different thermal insulations that you will find. The main 2 are Primaloft (manmade fibre's) or Down (natural). Lets look at the reason for using either before we take a look at what we have on offer.

Primaloft: This is by far the best manmade insulation and the most compressablke that is on the market today, that aside, it is not to say that other insulations used by some brands/manufactures are not good, just that Primaloft is the best at present. Primaloft belay jackets are for change-able climates, such as what we have here in the UK. Primaloft will stay lofted whilst wet & offer some insulation still, maybe enough to survive, but don't beleive it will keep you warm whilst wet,  like some sales people may imply at the point of sale. Primaloft also comes in 3 types at present, there is Primaloft One (the best), Primaloft Eco (using recycled fibres, which is very important for us all now) & Primaloft Sport, which is the lowest grade. Try to either buy Primaloft One or Eco if you can.

Down: Down is most certainly the best insulator for the warmth to weight ratio you can get. It is also the most packable insulation to boot. This means ultra small packsize for maximum insulation value. The biggest problem with Down, it that when it gets wet it collapses & loses all of its insulation properties, so becomes useless & dangerous used in the wrong conditions/situations. Down must be kept dry for its insulation properties to work.

So, for the walker/mountaineer/climber who knows that he is staying completely dry, i.e: he is in Alpine Conditions (these can extend to the UK, when we have a high pressure) then down is great, but if there is a chance that the weathe could warm up, or you are travelling up into the freezing level & back down again, Primaloft or manmade firbred insulation is by far better & safer. So, what do we have?

Montane Flux Jacket: This is Montane primo belay jacket for UK climbing & mountaineering. It is made using Primaloft Eco, has two Napolean zip pockets (big enough for OS Maps), a helmet compatible hood with a great closure, wrist & hem closure and use's 60g of Primaloft throughout most of the jacket (Shoulders and back, sleeves - other than cuff area, top and back of hood). With a DWR (Durable Water Repellency) on the superlight PEAQ Micro outer, it shed water spray etc pretty well. This is a great belay piece for climbers and mountaineers.

Montane Prism Jacket: This is a lighter weight version of the Montane Flux. As a fully belay piece for climbing it is a little light, but it is fine for quick stops when out on the hill, or for use on really cold day's moving through the mountains. It can be combined with the flux to make a double layer belay piece, if you have both garments in mind.

Marmot Trident Jacket : Marmot have have made a great belay piece this year, it is the Trident. They are using Thermal R Eco, which is their own insulation, but don't worry about that, as Marmot have a great history in using top-class materials to make top-class products. Marmot were the first American company to use Gore-tex & have been making some of the best sleeping bags for expedition use since the 70's. They are also no stranger to weather. The Marmot Trident is a fully waterproof belay piece, and doesn't cut any corners. It is sutied to the Uk or further afield & if your caught out in change-able conditions you could be glad of the Membrain proofing they have applied.

Part 2 will be all about Equipment you need to keep you on the white stuff & safe at the same time and Part 3 about accessories you will need to keep the all important head & extremities warm & dry.

[Remember: We can only offer advice, but the real knowledgfe comes from trying things out, understanding how fabrics & garments work & then applying this learnt information to what you have planned for your adventure/outing taking the predicted weather & conditions into account]